James F. ‘Jim’ Kidd remembered by friends

James F. ‘Jim’ Kidd was 80

The community has lost a business leader who also spent his time quietly working for charitable efforts.

The Lorain community has lost a business leader who also spent his time quietly working for local charitable efforts.

James F. “Jim” Kidd, 80, died March 25 at Mercy New Life Hospice Center in Lorain.

In business, Kidd worked his way up through the ranks, from teller to president and CEO of the former Lorain National Bank.

He also spent time as a family man and treating the Lorain community like a family, said those who knew him.

“He was a special person,” said Paul Balcom, who served as CEO of the former Lorain Community Hospital. “He was a communitywide person.

“He had his fingers in more things than I could keep track of. And people appreciated his support. If you asked for his help, he was there.”

A native of Vermilion, Kidd graduated from Vermilion High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Findlay and served in the Army from 1962-64.

He began working for Lorain National Bank in 1964.

Kidd returned to school to earn his master’s degree from Rutgers Stonier School of Banking in 1972.

After that, he advocated for local businesses and expanded his reach through local service and charitable programs.

Kidd had a philosophy that bank staff still try to emulate today, said Kevin Nelson, Ohio region president for Northwest Bank, the successor to Lorain National Bank.

Upon joining the bank in 2000, Nelson first met

Kidd and began to learn about Kidd’s style of getting involved and using his expertise and resources to be a good influence — if a quiet one.

Nelson recalled speaking to Kidd and his wife, Jolyn, about the senior executive’s involvement.

“I told him, the ways that you managed still echo in the hallways today, even though the name has changed,” Nelson said. “It lined up perfectly with what we strive for today.

“You look back, hindsight is 20-20, but he got it way back then.”

Kidd was “first and foremost, an extraordinary businessman,” said Roy Church, who retired as president of Lorain County Community College.

Kidd guided the success of Lorain National Bank, but he was just as concerned about community, education and government, Church said.

“He was a person that I truly respected and believed in because he had the best interests of the city and county in everything that he did,” Church said.

“He was one of the good guys.”

Quiet demeanor

Balcom recalled first meeting Kidd through the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce.

They would become friends through working on the Lakeland Community Foundation, which aimed to help the community through small grants that grew to more than $3 million given away over 25 years.

Although he was a tremendous influence, Kidd was quiet and sincere with a demeanor like a next-door neighbor, Balcom said.

“He was not a limelight seeker,” Balcom said. “He was quietly there as a member of the team of whatever project the community was working on.

“One of the joys of my time in Lorain has been knowing those who don’t promote themselves, but who do promote the wellbeing and the growth of the community. We’re fortunate to have folks like Jim around.”

Kidd guided the merger of the former Lorain Community and St. Joseph hospitals in Lorain, said Dr. Alexander Zolli, who also got to know Kidd as a patient.

He was not an “alpha personality,” and later in life, he did not wear health problems as a red badge of courage, Zolli said.

After his recovery, Kidd simply went back to being a quiet leader, Zolli said.

“He was a heavyweight in Lorain County,” Zolli said. “There aren’t many like him left in Lorain County.”

Kidd’s drive

Kidd was an athletic standout in high school and college.

His athletic gifts remained with him well into adulthood, said attorney David L. Herzer, who represented Lorain National Bank as a lawyer.

Starting in the early 1970s, Herzer said he got to know Kidd as a fast-pitch softball competitor and teammate.

“For pure raw talent, he was one of the finest athletes to ever come out of this area,” Herzer said. “I thought I was fast until I met him.”

Kidd brought the drive and discipline of athletics into the business world, but as a team player, never as a mean-spirited competitor.

Although he always was ready to help, at times, Kidd seemed to shy away from projects that would bring him public credit, Herzer said.

“He was a quiet leader,” Herzer said. “You could count on him. He didn’t beat around the bush.

“If he knew the answer to something, he would tell you. If he didn’t know the answer to something, he would tell you.”

“He was not an egotistical person by any stretch of the imagination.”

Kidd is survived by his wife, Jolyn, their daughters and grandchildren.

The family will hold a public memorial service at a later date.

Reidy-Scanlan-Giovannazzo Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Lorain handled arrangements.

Kidd